Media, UNC-CH Argue Over Cell Phone Records

Lawyers representing several media outlets and UNC-Chapel Hill argued today over what constitutes a public document. At the center of the case are the personal cell phone records of former football coach Butch Davis. Dave DeWitt reports.

Dave DeWitt: The media outlets contend that Davis was acting as a public official when he conducted the business of managing the UNC-Chapel Hill football program over his personal cell phone. Their attorneys argued today that that means those records should be public.

UNC-Chapel Hill and Davis say they are not public documents, but private records. The university’s attorneys also argued that other documents and recordings that were created during the investigation of academic fraud in the football program should also be private, under the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning heard the arguments yesterday. He will issue a decision at a later date.